Nagato of the Hidden Leaf
by pennylessz
Summary: Nagato winds up in the Hidden Leaf Village, as a child. Not only is it the wrong place, but he's also in the wrong time. Adopted by Jiraiya, Nagato struggles to fit in, as his terrifying past and fearsome Rinnegan, become problematic.


"Why are they all staring at you like that?" A young Nagato, stood in front of a ratty blonde boy, eyes glazed over with sympathy. A crowd had formed nearby, they murmured to themselves.

The boy sat, moping on a swing. "They think I'm a freak." He drew his gaze to the ground.

"I see." Nagato pondered this for a moment, there didn't seem to be anything visibly wrong with the kid in front of him. "You don't appear to be, abnormal."

"Yeah, well..." The boy turned, facing away from the crowd. "That's not what they think, all of them." He clenched his abdomen. "They hate me."

"They, huh?" Nagato tilted his head, taking in the concept. "What's your name?"

"It's Naruto, but most people just call me, 'that kid.'"

"Alright, Naruto." He flashed a soft smile, Naruto's eyes were closed, so he couldn't see it, but that part didn't matter to Nagato.

He turned, approaching the crowd of onlookers, some of them backed away. "Who's that creepy kid?" mumbled one of them.

"I think he was adopted by Jiraiya," answered another.

"Yeah, he found some children outside the village, they were burnt, pretty badly."

"What happened to the others?"

"Rumor has it, that kid killed them." Several people in the crowd, let out horrified gasps.

"Excuse me," Nagato stepped closer. "Why do you call Naruto a freak?"

"You would know!" Someone threw a can at his head. "Get away from us, and don't play with our children."

Nagato looked sullen, but inwardly, he was mostly perplexed. Why would people think he's a freak, did it have something to do with Naruto?

He walked back to Naruto. "They seem to think, I'm a freak as well."

"Really?" Naruto had been crying, tears were falling from his face. He lifted his head back up, and wiped the tears away. "That means, we're freaks together!" The disheartened look on his face, turned to a broad, toothy smile.

"I guess we are." Nagato flashed the same smile he gave earlier, except this time, Naruto could see it.

Naruto burst out laughing. "Aw man, you look so stupid with that smile."

Nagato's smile dropped back to a frown, did Naruto think ill of him too?

Naruto stopped laughing, his face, filled with confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Is my smile, that bad?"

Naruto scratched his head. "No, no, I was just joking, I mean, It was unexpected."

Up to this point, Nagato had a pretty hard time trusting people. Being born, during the Great Ninja War, made things problematic. Then one day, his friends, the ones he grew up with, just appeared next to him, dead. When Jiraiya approached him, he asked what happened. Nagato didn't have an answer. He didn't know whether or not to trust Jiraiya either, after all, he did deliver the knews that the war had ended. And yet, to Nagato, the war happened just yesterday. The screams of those dead around him, permiated his ear drums, they filled him with terror at night. Yet, this kid, unknowingly, tore a path, right through, to the center of his emotions.

Nagato began laughing as well, uncontrollably. He hadn't laughed much in his life, he thought he might be bad at it, but as he laughed, Naruto started laughing, right alongside him.

That was the day, that Nagato first met Naruto, and now, here they were, taking the academy exam together.

"Transform!" Naruto transformed, using his trademark, "Sexy Jutsu."

Iruka accosted him, Nagato held back a chuckle. This exam seemed pretty fun, he wondered what he could get away with.

Nagato stepped up to bat.

"Alright, let's see what you can do Nagato," said Iruka. "Your friend Naruto, can't seem to get his act together."

Nagato looked over at Naruto, they shared a giggle. Smiling gleefully, Nagato shouted, "Transform!"

The room fell silent, Iruka stared at Nagato, looking terrified.

"What's wrong, Sensei?" Nagato had transformed into Iruka, but rather than being his spitting image, he looked mangled. Kunai protruded from his body, blood dripped from his mouth, onto his jacket. All the while, the threatening eyes of the Rinnegan, stared deep into Iruka's being.

"Alright, that's enough, class dismissed." Iruka started funneling kids out of the room.

"Hey!" yelled a blonde girl, with a ponytail. "What about my turn, Sensei?"

"We can continue the exam tomorrow, just go home, okay?"

Everyone walked out, except Naruto and Nagato.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Nagato.

Iruka crouched down. "It's not that, Nagato. I know, it's hard to control your power. But Master Jiraiya entrusted me with your care, when he enrolled you in the academy." He sighed. "I'm afraid, you won't do well as a Genin, if you keep scaring people."

"I'm, sorry..."

Naruto stepped forward, and pointed at Iruka. "Look Sensei, all Nagato did was express himself. If you want to yell at your students for doing that, yell at me!"

Iruka plonked Naruto over the head. "I was getting to that!" He let out a breath and calmed down. "Nagato, I know you're a talented student, the most talented I've ever taught. Just, take a break tomorrow, would you?"

"What about, the exam?" Nagato looked puzzled.

"You've got exceptionally high marks," said Iruka. "If it were up to me, you'd be a Chunin already. As far as I'm concerned, you've already passed." He smiled.

"What, how come he gets a free pass!" Naruto looked at Iruka with contempt.

"Because he's at the top of the class, unlike you, Naruto."

They cleared out of the building. Nagato walked home with Naruto. Jiraiya rarely came home, so Nagato spent most of his time at Naruto's place. Over the years, they hadn't really garnered any friends. Though Nagato had noticed that weird, blue haired girl. She always stared at Naruto. And the odd pink haired one, her gaze seemed to shoot back and forth between Nagato and Sasuke. Thinking about it, made him feel weird.

Nagato's thoughts were interrupted by Naruto.

"Um." Naruto scratched his chin. "Would you mind, helping me prepare for tomorrow's exam?"

Nagato smirked. "Sure, I'd love to."

They walked off into the forest, after working most of the night, Naruto finally produced a clone.

The second day of the exam came, everyone produced their clone, without a hitch. Nagato had been allowed to show up, as long as he just watched.

Naruto put his hands together. "Clone Jutsu." In front of the entire class, stood a perfect clone of Naruto.

"That's...amazing!" shouted Iruka.

Mizuki looked disturbed, but formed a smile anyway. "Yes, that's quite something, and how did you learn to do that?"

"Nagato showed me." Naruto gave out a huge grin.

"That kid over there?" asked Mizuki. "Of course, he would."

After the exam ended, Iruka took Naruto out for a bowl of ramen. Nagato had nothing to do, and he didn't usually get to tag along when Naruto and Iruka were together, so, he just loitered around the academy.

Patrolling the halls of the school, Nagato decided to step back into the classroom. After tomorrow, he'd never have to step foot in here again. What would it be like, outside of the academy? Would it be like it had been, when he was a kid?

"You made it easier, by staying here." Mizuki stepped out from the shadows, a large scroll firmly strapped around his back.

"I did what?" Nagato didn't understand Mizuki's intentions.

Mizuki chuckled. "It's show time." He charged at Nagato, trying to scoop him up.

Nagato used chakra, to plant his feet on the ground.

"What!?" shouted Mizuki. "Come on, kid!"

Nagato wouldn't budge.

Mizuki growled frustratedly. "I'll go without a hostage!" He fled the scene.

Nagato, figured Mizuki was up to something sinister, so he tailed him.

Mizuki noticed Nagato following him, he tried throwing kunai at him. But Nagato deflected them with ease, not even needing to use a kunai.

"You're getting on my nerves!" Mizuki stopped, in a tree.

"That scroll, it's sacred, isn't it?" asked Nagato.

"Why did I even bother!?" Mizuki made a clone of himself, and charged at Nagato.

Nagato breathed deeply, taking in the moment. Then, he used chakra to pick up all the ninja tools, off the ground, and used them to skewer Mizuki.

The scroll fell off Mizuki's back, the force of it hitting the ground, unfurled it. Nagato's eyes, merely glanced over the scroll's edge, yet he managed to learn the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, without even realizing it.

Mizuki's body, collided with a tree. This happened, just as Iruka arrived on the scene.

"What, have you done, Nagato?"

"He was trying to steal that scroll," answered Nagato.

Iruka looked at Mizuki's mangled body, as well as the scroll on the ground. "I believe you, but the Anbu might not. And I can't tell them otherwise, without knowing for sure."

"What, do I do then?" Nagato felt frightened, he couldn't go back to being alone.

"You must run, Nagato. You're fast, I know you can outrun them."

"Wait!" Naruto jumped out from the bushes. "He can't go anywhere, Nagato is my friend, and I know he'd never hurt anyone, unless they were trying to hurt him!"

"Naruto!" Iruka's eyes widened. "I told you, not to follow me."

"You're trying to get rid of my friend!"

Iruka stretched his palm across his face. "It's not like that, look, do you think you can keep this to yourself?"

"No way, Iruka Sensei!" He glared at Iruka.

Iruka let out a massive sigh. "I can't believe I'm doing this. Okay, you two, we're going to have to leave the village, together."

"That won't be necessary," said the gruff voice of the Third Hokage, as he approached them.

"Lord Third, what are you-"

"I was just out on a stroll, I figured I'd take the scenic root. Low and behold, I happened to spot Mizuki stealing the Scroll of Seals.

"Lord Third, stand back!" A couple of fox masked Anbu landed next to him, brandishing weapons.

"You'll stand down, these kids did nothing wrong."

"But, Lord Thir-"

"That's an order."

The Anbu cleared the area, as Iruka spoke with the Hokage.

"What do you think they're talking about?" asked Naruto.

"I don't know, I try not to hear." said Nagato, clasping one of his ears.

"You can actually hear, what they're saying?"

"Yeah, it's a problem, because Jiraiya told me not to eavesdrop."

"You can't have a cool power like that, and not use it."

"Here, I've got something better." Nagato whispered in Naruto's ear.

"Multi...Shadow Clone?"

Nagato shushed him.

Iruka turned around, a few minutes later, but the pair of kids had already left, he smiled. "You two, you're growing up so fast."


End file.
